single-minded
Americanadjective
-
having or showing a single aim or purpose.
a single-minded program.
-
dedicated; resolute; steadfast.
He was single-minded in his concern for truth.
- Synonyms:
- firm, inflexible, persevering, determined
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of single-minded
First recorded in 1570–80
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
What it needs more than anything is a single-minded focus on getting kids ready for school.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
It’s a one-track, single-minded way of thinking, eerily reminiscent of, oh, I don’t know, a hungry coyote blindly pursuing a roadrunner.
From Salon ● Aug. 30, 2026
Parents who have watched their children cycle through different hobbies, whether it’s crafting friendship bracelets or concocting homemade slime, will recognize the single-minded fervor that has overtaken the students of Class 203.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
He was so single-minded and determined about winning.
From BBC ● May 17, 2026
It’s weird, Noise, but almost wordless, cresting the hill in front of us and rolling down, single-minded but talking in legions, like a thousand voices singing the same thing.
From "The Knife of Never Letting Go" by Patrick Ness
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
